Efrîn Democratic Autonomous Administration, which houses hundreds of thousands of refugees despite being under siege and having limited resources, has increased concerns for the lives of the refugees with the Turkish state’s attacks.

There are almost 304.000 refugees in the Efrîn Canton, but the canton receives almost no aid from international humanitarian aid organizations. International powers and the public have turned blind eyes and deaf ears to the Turkish state bombing the Rubar Camp.

Efrîn Canton Social Works Council Co-chair Arife Bekir spoke to the ANF on the refugee problem in Efrîn and the status of the refugees after the Turkish state’s attacks.

“NO AID FOR REFUGEES IN EFRÎN”

Arife Bekir pointed out that the flow of refugees into Efrîn continued because it is a stable region and the civil war in Syria has not been decelerating, and added: “Right now, the number of refugees in Efrîn is close to 304 thousand. And every day new refugees continue to arrive. Some come and rent houses, some have friends or family and they stay with them. We as the people of Efrîn and the Democratic Autonomous Administration have spent great efforts to fulfill the needs of the refugees and that continues still.

We went from door to door, gathering aid. Our families cut down on their children’s needs to aid the refugees. Later, we opened two refugee camps, the Rubar and Shehba camps. Life is very difficult in these camps, and our resources are not enough to fulfill the basic humanitarian needs of the refugees. Although we have made countless calls, the supplies aid organizations have sent can only cover 2% of the current situation for refugees in Efrîn.”

“SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES COMING UP”

Arife Bekir said one of the fundamental issues the refugees in Efrîn are having is the health issue and continued: “There are serious health issues coming up due to factors like limited resources, lack of food, the hot and the cold. There are cancer patients, there are people with conditions like hepatitis. But there is not enough medicine in Efrîn itself. The people of Efrîn are also suffering from this, as well as the refugees. But still, the need for doctors, medicine and ambulances in refugee camps is dire.

Because the fundamental needs cannot be met and health issues cannot be addressed, our refugee people take to the border and attempt to cross over to Turkey, and then to Europe from there. They cross the border illegally and still face the massacres of the Turkish state at the borders.”

“TURKEY’S ATTACKS HAVE WORSENED THEIR TRAGEDY”

Arife Bekir spoke on the artillery fire by the Turkish state on May 1 on the Rubar Camp and said these attacks worsened the conditions of the refugees and psychologically re-traumatized refugees in the camp.

Arife Bekir pointed out that on the day the Turkish state bombed the Rubar camp, ISIS massacred refugees near the Rajim Salibi Border Gate. She said: “4 camp residents were injured in the Turkish state’s attacks. And ISIS murdered dozens of civilians-refugees in their sleep. Both attacks seem to be planned in the same headquarters. The Turkish state murders them on the borders and at the same time seems to be almost taking revenge on them for coming to Efrîn by bombing them.”

“DEAF TO OUR CALLS”

Arife Bekir stated that they made calls to the world, the international community and the international forces after the attacks but they couldn’t get responses and continued: “Like the conflict in Syria now, the refugee issue is an international issue. We called on the international society, the international forces and the aid organizations to visit the Rubar Camp and inspect the damage created by these attacks, material and otherwise, and see for themselves. But there wasn’t any interest except for one Russian committee. We didn’t get any replies.”

“LET’S STOP THIS TRAGEDY”

Arife Bekir concluded her comments with the following call: “I am calling on the world public and the international community once more. With the civil war in Syria, a humanitarian tragedy continues to happen. The refugee issue is one of the heaviest pieces of this tragedy. The Turkish state attacking the Rubar Refugee Camp and ISIS carrying out a massacre on the Rajim Salibi border gate worsened this tragedy.

Let us not allow humanity to be murdered every day by the Turkish state right in front of our eyes. The safety of our refugee people can only be ensured via reacting strongly against the attacks of the Turkish state and the gangs and stopping them. Let us stop the Turkish state’s attacks and help our refugee people.”